Stay & Explore

Guests staying at Die Kloof are welcomed into a self-catering cottage that sleeps six people. The cottage has a fully-equipped farm kitchen, including a functional hearth fireplace, and all the modern conveniences of luxurious contemporary farm life. The three bedrooms (one double, two twins), lounge and kitchen have been furnished with antique farm-style furniture and with luxurious linen and soft furnishings. The antique ball-and-claw bath complements the luxury of the cottage and a sheltered outside shower allows visitors to take in the fresh air. The lounge has a free-standing fireplace for chilly evenings and the stoep boasts an 8-seater table for mealtimes under the trees. The outside area also has an outdoor lounge area for long, leisurely evenings around the braaiplek and the total indulgence of a wood-fired hot tub for warm night-time star-gazing or cool summers day dipping.

Please Note: Due to the fact that this is a historic building that has been preserved as far as possible, the main double bedroom is accessible only through one of the twin bedrooms, and the second twin bedroom has patio access only. The interior bathroom is separate and accessible from anywhere in the cottage.  Regrettably no pets allowed.
 Although a 4×4 is not necessary, there is a dirt road that leads up to the cottage so a vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended. Please also be vigilant about keeping all gates closed on the farm to help us keep our animals safe and happy.

Die Kloof is a cottage that sits nestled in a kloof on the farm and is the focal point of our venture into tourism. It is a family relic dating back to the 1800s that has been given a new lease on life and now affords modern visitors with an idea of what life was like here many years ago. Handri’s wife Noelani was the catalyst for the restoration of this historical building with its foot-thick walls, thatch roofs and traditional stable doors into a luxurious, self-catering retreat from city life.

When Cecilia Catherina Conradie, a third-generation member of the Koelfontein clan, married a Möller she was given Die Kloof and the section of the farm in this gorge as her family inheritance. Handri recalls his grandfather, Oupa Zulch, jokingly referring to Die Kloof as the “honeymoon farm”. The sun comes up here later than it does elsewhere on Koelfontein due to the high mountain ridges flanking the narrow valley on the eastern and western sides, which means that inhabitants of the cottage may tend to lie in a bit longer than everyone else on the farm.

This land was bought back from the Möllers by Francois Conradie in 1972, thus reincorporating Die Kloof into the Koelfontein legacy. Understandably, direct descendants of the Möllers who once lived here continue to have a deep affinity for Koelfontein and Die Kloof.

Conservation

Koelfontein is a key part of the establishment of the Waboomsberg Conservancy which aims to protect the valuable ecosystem of our corner of the valley, and has also been recognised as a Conservation Champion by the WWF  for the work done in preserving the virgin indigenous fynbos of the region over almost two-thirds of the farm which is non-arable, including some much threatened Lowland Fynbos.  The best way to explore the farm fynbos is on foot along one of the two routes on the Christie Prins Hiking Trail extending into the foothills and mountains themselves around Gydo Pass.  A more detailed map can also be downloaded here. The flourishing indigenous vegetation also means that birdlife is abundant on Koelfontein, making it a bird-watching paradise – there are some great birding resources on our area on the Western Cape Birding website for reference.